GSKs ovarian cancer drug shows exciting results.

British pharmaceuticals giant Glaxosmithkline reported progress this morning on a drug it bought last year in a controversial 5.1bn dollars (4bn) deal. Zejula, a cancer treatment, met its primary target in a phase III trial, the company said. It means that women suffering from ovarian cancer who were given the drug increased their chances of progression-free survival. This means they continued to live with the disease, without it becoming worse. It happened regardless of their biomarker status – measurable markers of disease. Zejula uses so-called Parp-inhibitors to stop the progression of the disease. Parp proteins in cancer cells identify damage to their DNA, helping to call in repairs. The inhibitors neutralise the Parp proteins, leaving the cancer cells to die. “Almost 300,000 women around the world are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year, yet only about 15 per cent of patients are currently eligible to receive Parp inhibitors as their initial therapy,” said Hal Barron, the company’s chief scientific officer. “These exciting data demonstrate that Zejula has the potential to significantly benefit even more women with this devastating cancer.” The trial’s results will be presented at a scientific conference before a regulatory filing is submitted to authorities in the US and the EU. If successful, it would open the drug to women who have gone through one round of chemotherapy. Today Zejula is only used for those who have gone through two rounds.